Echolocation is a system used by some animals to determine the position of an object by measuring how long it takes for an echo to return fromthe object.
[technical]
Most bats navigate by echolocation.
echolocation in British English
(ˌɛkəʊləʊˈkeɪʃən)
noun
determination of the position of an object by measuring the time taken for an echo to return from it and its direction
echolocation in American English
(ˈɛkoʊloʊˌkeɪʃən)
noun
the determination, as by a bat, of the position of an object by the emission of sound waves which are reflected back to the sender as echoes
Derived forms
echolocate (ˈechoˌloˌcate)
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈechoˌloˌcated or ˈechoˌloˌcating